A/N: My first ever fanfic post. Sort of AU in a way, just an idea that I had kind of spring-boarding off of the Regina/Evil Queen split, but on a different level. If I had to place this contextually, it'd probably be around the fourth season. Hook and Emma relationship is a no-go because fuck that bullshit. Robin has left to be with his wife, who, in this case, was definitely not Zelena in disguise but the real deal. So, he's out, and he won't be back. I've had enough of either of those unconvincing hetero relationships shoved down my throat over the past seven seasons (shots fired). I think that's all the prelude needed. Hope you guys enjoy, and be sure to leave me some feedback.

1

The sky was painted an overcast gray when Emma Swan parked her Volkswagen in front of the mayoral mansion. She peered up at it with a heavy sigh, drumming her fingers on the steering wheel a moment. Typically, a summons from the mayor to her home would've had Emma racing, as it only meant one of two things. Time with Henry and his mother, or time alone with Regina. Both of which greatly appealed to the blonde.

This time was different, though. Emma knew it as soon as she'd heard the older woman's voice over the phone. She'd been sitting in her usual booth at Granny's, her son at her side and her parents across from her when she'd recieved the call. When she glanced down at the screen and saw Regina's picture flashing, her heart had lept into her throat, and she silently prayed her parents wouldn't be opposed to watching Henry a few hours. Maybe even having him stay the night with them.

Emma had accepted the call barely two rings in. "Hello."

"Miss Swan." Regina's voice was uncharacteristically weak, and its raggedly serious tone had informed Emma immediately that this, unfortunately, was not a booty call. "I need to see you."

The blonde furrowed her brow and fiddled with pepper shaker that sat in front of her on the table. "What for?"

"Must you always waste time asking pointless questions?" Regina snapped irritably.

Emma frowned. While she was certainly no stranger to the mayor's ire, it had been quite some time she'd heard that voice. "Whoa. Where'd that come from?"

A ragged sigh sounded over the line. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to... I just really need your help, and I can't really explain it over the phone. It's something you need to see to believe."

The Sheriff paused a moment, fully aware of how her family was watching her curiously. "Alright. I'm on my way."

Fifteen minutes later, she was at the mayor's front door. She lifted her hand to knock but hesitated. Regina didn't know she was there yet. She could still turn tail and run. Buy herself some time before dealing with whatever had the mayor acting so strangely.

She sighed, and her fist rapped against the door. No. She wasn't going anywhere. Regina was upset, and she'd called her for help. Her. Not Gold or anyone else. She wanted her there. Emma didn't kid herself into thinking that wasn't a big step for her and the mayor.

The door was opened by a very stressed-looking Regina Mills. Emma opened her mouth to greet her but was halted when the mayor grabbed her by the arm and jerked inside the house, slamming and locking the door behind her.

"What's going on?" Emma demanded as Regina ushered her into the kitchen. "What's so urgent that you needed me to come here so fast?"

"Something happened," the mayor said, eyes downcast.

Emma frowned suspiciously at the other woman's behavior. Hands clasped in front of her and head hanging low, she bore a striking resemblance to their son whenever he got caught doing something he wasn't supposed to. "What do you mean, something happened? What kind of something?"

"I, um, I was going through some old spell books," Regina explained. "And... I was a bit careless, I suppose."

"Careless?" The blonde repeated. This couldn't be good. "How so?"

"Well, isn't this interesting?"

Both women spun at the velvetlike voice. Regina bore a look of guilt and annoyance at the woman standing in the doorway of her kitchen, while Emma's mouth fell open in shock.

"Regina," she whimpered out, "what did you do?"

"I'm not entirely sure," the mayor muttered.

Emma struggled for her words. "Why am I looking at... you?"

"Please, do not compare me to that pathetic fool," the other Regina waved her hand. Her dark hair was piled on top of her head in an intricate updo that Emma supposed must take hours to accomplish, and the jewel-encrusted, black-and-red gown she wore had a low dip in the front to fully expose her shameless cleavage. Cleavage which, at the moment, Emma was having a very hard time tearing her eyes away from.

"I'm not sure what happened to me in this land," she continued as she stalked forward. Emma couldn't help but wonder how she walked so easily in those sky-high heels, "but this 'Madame Mayor' has lost all of the fire that made me so deliciously me."

"Shut up," Regina snapped at herself. "Trust me, dear, I've still got plenty of fire." Holding her palm out, she conjured a fireball in it and smiled with bared teeth. "Perhaps I should give you an up-close-and-personal view of it, hm?"

"Regina," Emma said, placing a hand on her shoulder softly. The mayor glanced over at her, her fireball diminishing slightly, while the darker woman before them absorbed the scene with eager eyes. "That's not a great idea."

"Why not?" She demanded.

"Because you split yourself, apparently," the blonde sighed, "and we've got no clue what that entails. If you kill this Regina, you could be hurt, too. And I'm not okay with that."

"You're not?" The queen asked, taking a step closer to Emma. The blonde turned and faced her with what she meant to be courage, but she was still honestly having an incredible amount of trouble keeping her eyes from raking over that tightly-encased body. "My, my. Very interesting indeed. The Savior cares for the Evil Queen."

"I'm not the Evil Queen," Regina spat back, placing a hand on Emma's arm and pulling her back slightly away from the other woman. Her eyes bore furiously into her counterpart's, while the queen simply smiled back maliciously. "Not anymore."

"Right," she snorted. "You've changed. You might be able to convince others of that, dear, but not me. I've been inside that twisted little head of yours, remember?"

"Why is it so difficult to believe she's changed for the better?" Emma questioned.

The queen's eyes flickered back to her, and the smile that had faltered slightly returned to its fiery fullness. "Because, dear, if there is one thing both she and I know, it's that people do not truly change from who they are. Deep down, your lovely mayor here is the same dark, perverse soul as me. She's just learned how to cover it up in tasteless pantsuits." She sneered at Regina, who crossed her arms furiously. The mayor had not realized how biting and, frankly, annoying she had been in the other land. She was beginning to understand why the people had given her the "Evil Queen" moniker after all. "She's boring now, unfortunately and doesn't interest me at all." The queen grinned at Emma widely, dark pools of brown eyes burning with glee. "You, on the other hand, my dear Savior, interest me quite a lot."

"Excuse me?" Emma frowned.

Before either Regina or Emma could blink, the queen thrust her hand out, plunging it into the Savior's chest, and squeezed her fingers around her beating heart. Emma's mouth opened in a silent scream, her breath wheezing out, while Regina immediately conjured another fireball. The queen pulled the glowing organ from Emma's chest and stared down at it with wild, glinting eyes.

"The heart of the Savior," she mused, turning it over in the palm of her hand. "The product of True Love. The hope for everyone's happily ever after's." Her face fell slightly. "It's a bit darker than I'd imagined it would be." Judging by the tone in her voice, that was far more of exciting to her than disappointing.

"Put it back!" Regina seethed at herself, and the queen looked up at her with a replaced grin.

"Touchy, aren't we?" She laughed. "Honestly, dear, I would've thought that you'd be dying to get yours hands on this." Her eyes shot back to Emma, who was frozen into place. "Wrap your fingers around it tight and just-" She squeezed the heart in her hand, and the blonde reacted immediately. Her chest constricted, and she felt as though her entire sternum would burst from the pressure. With a strangled cry of pain, Emma doubled over. A rush of hot moisture sprang into her eyes, and she tried with everything inside of her to hold it back.

"Put it back!" Regina repeated, and her voice was tagged with panic as she glanced from the queen to Emma. Her hand found the blonde's shoulder, hoping to somehow alleviate the pain.

"Such concern for someone you hate," the queen taunted. "Or, do you hate her? She's the one who broke our curse after all and tried to take Henry from us."

"You know nothing," Regina shot back to her, and she practically shook with rage. "I am not the same person as you. I no longer wield hate as a weapon. I let go of that part of me a long time ago. Now, put her heart back before I turn you to a pile of smoldering ash."

The queen smirked. "And why on earth would I do that when I'm enjoying how it beats so hard in my hand?"

"Please." Emma's strained, pleading voice caught both women's attention. She looked up at the queen with green eyes that glistened with agony. There was something else in those eyes, though. Something that the queen found she couldn't fully place. "Please, Regina. Don't do this. You're better than this."

"What makes you think so?" The queen countered, though some of her previous conviction had shaken away. "I'm not the same woman as her."

Emma shook her head. "Not entirely, no, but I think you were right about one thing: people don't totally change from who they once were. You and Regina might be split by magic, but you're still Regina. And I know you. You've come too far to do this. So, please, don't."

There was a moment of subdued silence as the queen glowered down at the Savior. It was something she hadn't expected, and something she had not seen in a very long time. Someone had faith in her. Someone trusted her to do the right thing. Though she wouldn't admit it, the queen felt something in her stomach tighten when she saw the hope for her so strong in those slate eyes.

Slowly, she loosened her grip on Emma's heart, and the blonde stood upright again with a relieved sigh as some of the tension in her chest passed. There was still a disturbing emptiness that, strangely enough, felt heavy to her. While the organ no longer resided in her chest, she felt the loss like an anvil on her ribcage, threatening to shatter her.

"Killing you so soon would be regrettable," the queen claimed with practiced indifference. "You're the only thing I've seen so far in this land that doesn't bore me to tears." She cocked her head to the side. "So, congratulations, Savior. You get to live to be the hero another day." She reached her hand back into Emma's chest and replaced her heart. Emma gasped for air at its return, chest rolling. Somehow, she was now more aware of the organ. She felt and heard its beating clearly, more appreciatively.

She gulped the lump in her throat away, and looked between the women before her. "Two Regina's. This is certainly going to be interesting."

"Actually," the mayor said, crushing the fire in her hand and looking sheepishly at the ground, "not two. Three."

Emma's eyes nearly bulged out of her head. "There are three of you?" Regina nodded. "Well, where's the other one?"

"She ran away," the brunette said. "She's rather timid."

"A coward and a fool," the queen corrected coldly.

"Wait," Emma shook her head. "So, you're the Storybrooke Regina. You're the Evil Queen Regina." She looked between them. "Who's this other Regina?"

"It's the me that existed before the crown and before magic," Regina answered, wringing her hands in front of her. "A younger, more naive version of myself. Uncorrupted."

"Well, shouldn't we find her?" The blonde said. "I mean, she's scared and in a strange place. Anything could happen. She could get seriously hurt out there."

"Bo-ring," the queen chimed in a sing-song voice, and they both glowered at her. "It's as if all you people ever think about is saving someone or something. Honestly, it's quite exhausting and dull." Her smile returned. "I think it's time for me to explore this town further and see what it has to offer me."

"Don't you dare," Regina threatened.

The queen twinkled her fingers at the two of them. "Ta-ta, darlings." Before either of the women could stop her, she disappeared in a swirl of purple smoke, leaving the sweet, spicy scent of her magic behind.

"Well, that's awesome," Emma mumbled. "We just unleashed the Evil Queen on all of Storybrooke."

"Are you alright?" Regina asked, resting a hand on the blonde's shoulder. The touch made Emma shudder slightly, and she looked at the woman by her side. "She didn't... hurt you, did she?"

"I'm fine," Emma replied with a small, reassuring smile. "It was more a shock that anything." She rubbed her chest at the memory of that ghostly hand thrusting inside it, of those perfectly manicured nails digging into her heart, and winced. "I've heard a lot of stories about the Evil Queen, and, I've got to say, she certainly lives up to the hype."

"She's a monster," Regina said darkly. "We have to stop her. Whatever she has planned, it isn't good."

Emma furrowed her brow. "How do you know she's got anything planned at all?"

"Because I was her once upon a time," the brunette answered. "I know her head. She always has an agenda."

"We'll have to worry about that later," Emma sighed. "For now, we should focus on finding the other you. Any idea where she might have gone?"

Regina shook her head. "No clue. Unfortunately, that me has been gone for a very, very long time. While I know the Evil Queen like the back of my hand, the me before that is-well-a stranger to me."

"So, she could be anywhere?" The Sheriff deduced, and Regina nodded. "Okay, then. In that case, we should probably split up for time's sake." She started for the door, but the mayor didn't move. Emma looked back at her. "What's wrong?"

"I don't like the idea of splitting up," Regina said shortly, a strange tick in her voice.

The other woman frowned at her with a tilt of her head. Her lips pulled down at the edges curiously, and her eyes tightened as she tried to read the mayor. It was the look that made Regina's stomach dip. "Why not?"

"Because..." The brunette sighed in defeat. "Because the Evil Queen is out there somewhere, and I'd like to keep you where I know you're safe."

Emma's expression softened, and she smiled gently. "Regina, I can handle myself. I'd think, after everything we've been through, you'd know that by now."

"I do," the mayor muttered, crossing her arms over her chest. "It's just... this isn't like all the other threats we've faced. This is me."

"I fought a firebreathing dragon," Emma teased. "I think you might be overestimating yourself if you think I can't take you, too."

Regina glowered at her, mouth pulled in a tight line. Emma's eyes lingered on the small scar above her just above her upper lip, and, not for the first time, she found herself wanting to touch it. Kiss it. "This is serious, Miss Swan."

Emma shook the fantasy away from her mind. "I know it is, Regina, but you've got to trust me. The only way we're going to be able to handle this is if we're on the same team." She smiled. "Besides, we already know she isn't going to kill me. I'm the only thing that doesn't bore her, remember?"

Regina rolled her eyes at the pride the Sheriff seemed to take from this. "She'll get over that quickly enough. She's never satisifed."

Emma tried to ignore how that statement slapped her across the face, leaving a sting that she couldn't entirely dismiss. Her expression steeled, and she headed for the door with Regina following behind her. "Well, when that happens, we'll deal with it."

The two women split up outside with Regina getting into her Benz and Emma retreating to the yellow Bug waiting on the curb. Regina assigned herself the northern half of Storybrooke, and Emma agreed to search the southern end. Both women knew that it wasn't going to be easy. The third Regina could literally be anywhere in the town. Locating her would be time-consuming and exhausting, but they had to do it. The Evil Queen on the loose was bad enough; who knew how people would react if they saw a third version of the mayor wandering around town? And this version had no magic at her disposal to defend herself if need be.

While Regina would be driving through the heart of town in her route, Emma was left to the countryside mostly, scanning shadowed forests and flat, open expanses of grass. However, her heart wasn't entirely in the search.

Regina's words continued to bounce through her mind. She'll get over that quickly enough. She's never satisfied. The statement shouldn't have bothered her so much-Regina had certainly said worse to her before-but it did. While the mayor seemed to be of the mind that she and the queen were completely different people, Emma knew better. The Evil Queen may have been a past version of Regina, but she was still part of Regina. They were still, essentially, the same person. And Emma couldn't help but wonder how long it would be before the mayor herself grew tired of her company.

"Get real, Swan," she mumbled to herself as she drove. "She'd have to actually give a damn about you to begin with to get bored of you."

The two women had been carrying on a secret psuedo-relationship for a few months. First, it began as simple friendship. They were drinking buddies, comforting and listening to each other. When a night of drinking morphed into a night of passionate release, however, things had changed between the two. Something had clicked. While Emma had confessed to having a physical attraction to the mayor since the very first time she'd seen her, this was more. This wasn't just physical. It went deeper than that, cutting through her skin and piercing her straight through. While Regina seemed to hold a fondness for the blonde and certainly an appreciation for her body, Emma couldn't help but feel like she was little more than a safety blanket for the mayor to cling to while she was still dealing with the pain of Robin Hood's departure from Storybrooke with his wife and son. Something Emma still felt absolutely terrible for causing in the first place. Regina claimed to have forgiven and forgotten the incident, but Emma knew she still held resentment towards her for it. Forgiving herself had turned out to be the hardest part. So, she never pressed the other woman into defining their relationship. Even though she longed to see Regina in more places than simply the bedroom, Emma never voiced her desires to the mayor. She owed her, and, to help make up for the pain she'd unintentionally caused her, she would be and do whatever Regina needed from her.

The Sheriff was so lost in thought that she nearly missed the flash of powder blue among the vivid green of a fenced pasture to her right. Stomping her foot on the brakes in the middle of the road, she stared out her window. Standing by the fence, her back to Emma, was a woman. Long, raven-black hair fell down her back in a tight braid. She wore a blue peacoat over tan riding pants and darker brown boots. On the other side of the fence there stood a tall, chestnut-colored horse with a white stripe on its face. The woman stroked the horse's snout with a leather-gloved hand, and the animal leaned into her touch pleasantly. Though she had yet to see her face, somehow Emma knew that was the Regina she was looking for.

Stepping out of the car that she left parked in the middle of the deserted road, Emma slowly approached the woman who was still none the wiser to her presence. A knot of anxiety formed in her stomach. She had no idea what to expect from the young woman ahead of her. She'd known plenty about the Evil Queen not only from her son's book but from her own brief experience in the other world. She'd had an idea of what to expect from her. This woman, though, Emma had not the faintest clue as to how she would behave. The stories had always focused on the evil Regina. Her sins and her anger. No one ever spoke of what she'd been like before, not even the mayor herself. Was the burning hatred still present in this younger woman? Would she attack Emma on the spot? Try to kill her, even?

A twig snapped under Emma's foot as she crossed the grass, and the woman ahead of her stiffened. In an instant, she spun around. The Sheriff stood, rooted to the spot, and gaped. She'd never imagined how Regina might have looked when she was younger. The woman could not have been much more than twenty. Her face was bare of all makeup, yet still undeniably beautiful, and her chocolate-colored eyes seemed to melt like wax under a flame. There was a softness to her that was foreign to both the queen and the mayor. A gentility that Emma had never seen on Regina before.

After a moment of silence, Emma managed a small, dazed smile at the woman in front of her and one breathy syllable. "Hi."